2 Lanterns in the Belfry of Old North Church credit: Bridgeman Prints
Kicking off America’s 250th Nationwide with Two Lights For Tomorrow
On July 4, 2026, our nation will commemorate and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The commemoration of America’s 250th next year isn’t limited to only commemorating events from 1776. There were many significant historical events leading up to the Declaration of Independence, and this year, on the nights of April 18-19, 2025, there is a nationwide initiative to recognize one of those historical events while keeping a focus toward the future.
Paul Revere’s Ride
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
LISTEN, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friend, “If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light, —
One, if by land, and two, if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm.”
Participate in commemorating this historical event by shining two lights in your community on April 18th.
What is Two Lights for Tomorrow?
On the evening of April 18-19, 1775, Paul Revere, William Dawes, and others undertook a perilous ride to alert everyone in the countryside of the coming danger from the British army. Before the riders left Boston, an arranged signal was set in the Old North Church steeple to ensure that the message would go out far and wide.
The two lanterns hung in the church steeple were later immortalized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem Paul Revere’s Ride by the passage, “One if by land, and two if by sea”, and have become an enduring symbol of American perseverance in the face of adversity.
Those who answered the call to serve and defend their fellow countrymen that night and the following day at the Battles of Lexington and Concord exemplify the indomitable courage and spirit of those who accepted and embraced the shared responsibility that has defined our nation since its inception. This year, we invite Washingtonians to use this symbol to share the importance of supporting and serving each other by hanging two lights in your community on the evening of April 18, 2025.
How To Participate
Two Lights for Tomorrow is intentionally designed to be flexible so that everyone can participate. Any kind of light can be used in any size building, be it a municipal building, museum, community center, or home. Lights should ideally be visible to the exterior and displayed dusk to dawn on the evening of Friday April 18, 2025.
From spotlights to flashlights, any lights, any duration, and any location will work—what matters is the willingness to participate and to remind each other of the importance of working together for a more perfect union.
Finally, don’t forget to take photos of your lights that night and send them to the organization at info@america250wa.org
